The project aims at setting the grounds for a renewable energy technology, where advanced chemistry and optics work hand in hand to achieve the most efficient sunlight powered CO₂ transformation into C₂ value-added chemicals, specifically solar fuels such as ethanol.

SOREC2 will explore the combination of a mediator with molecular catalysts, enabling CO₂ reduction beyond CO at mild applied potentials supressing the dominant formation of H₂ or undesired derived products like methane (CH₂). The project will also combine new developments of the mediator with a Copper (Cu) electrode to facilitate the formation of C₂ products such as ethanol or ethylene.

SOREC2 proposes a novel PEC multilayered configuration that surpasses the conventional photoanode and high open circuit voltage (Voc) perovskite (PVK) cell combination incorporating light trapping nano-structures and a low band gap transparent organic photovoltaic (T-OPV) cell.

The chemistry and optics components converge in a highly transparent photoanode, where a molecular-based water oxidation catalyst (WOC) based on Cu anchored to a transparent oxide thin film will ensure high current densities at low catalyst loading.

All the developments mentioned above will be integrated within a compact PEC ensemble effectively reducing CO₂ into valuable C₂ compounds using sunlight energy and water as the sole energy and electron sources, respectively, while generating oxygen as the only harmless byproduct.